INSTITUTE, W.Va. – Fairmont State shot nearly 57 percent from the field and got 29 points from
Amanda Ruffner in an 86-78 road win over West Virginia State on Thursday evening inside the Walker Convocation Center.
With the win, FSU improves to 15-10 overall and 12-7 in the Mountain East Conference. State slips to 12-13 overall and 10-9 in the league.
The Falcons opened up a 40-31 halftime lead after shooting 58.6 percent from the field (17-of-29) in the opening half. Ruffner dropped in 18 of Fairmont's 40 first half points, while
Deidra Combs added nine and
Makenzie White scored seven points and passed out seven assists in the first 20 minutes of action.
At the 6:03 mark of the third quarter with FSU holding its largest lead of the day (56-40), the Yellow Jackets went on a 14-0 run over the next three and a half minutes to close the Falcon lead to just a single basket (56-54). However, FSU answered the run by scoring the final 11 points of the quarter, jumping in front by 13 at the start of the fourth and final quarter.
Although State outscored the Falcons 24-19 in the final 10 minutes of action, the Yellow Jackets were unable to get closer than an eight-point margin in the fourth.
Ruffner went 11-of-17 from the field and sank 7-of-8 free throw attempts to total her 29 points in the win. The Falcons also got 21 points, six rebounds and 10 assists from White, 15 points and 15 rebounds from Combs and 12 points and six boards from
Emily Puskarich.
The Falcons made just two three-pointers in the win, both coming in the second half. WVSU took 29 three-pointers in the game, sinking nine (31 percent).
Aurreshae Hines scored a team-high 22 points and passed out five assists for the Yellow Jackets. West Virginia State also got 14 points from Shealyn Shafer and 12 from Rachel Ward. Amiea Summers filled the stat sheet for the Yellow Jackets with eight points, 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals.
WV State managed just 41 percent from the field (32-of-78) and was outrebounded by seven (41-34).
FSU will return to the southern part of the state on Saturday afternoon for a 2 p.m. tip against the University of Charleston.
